Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-01
BUTTON FACTORIES
Something About the Manufacture OF the
UssfuI Little Fastener.

Ussfm Little Fastener.
j. Il. in Brooklyn Eagle.
4 single button is an Insignificant thing
ard IL money value doesn't amount to
much, but when it is stated that in the
five establishments devoted to button
making in this city there is q capitol Of
$3.50, 600 inves,ed,it Is safe TO say that the
business is considerable. Walking tnIOug
Tiffany place ii the Sixth ward, my at
tentio1 was attracted 20 one Of these
factories. | had never seen a button
made and, 10 fact, this was the nearest
l had ever been TO q place of this kind,
and fer the purpose of improv-
irg (Ee opportunity com
meuce6 climbing two fights of
Stairs that are as steep as those leading
to Miss Liherty's lofty perch on B3dIoe's
Island; but once inside the factory the
climbing Of the steps Was forgotten, as
the picture before me was full Of inter
est. There we're about twenty girls st
WORK making or painting buttons. The
poTer, drop sad foot presses, were in
constant motion. Ia making metal but
tons the sheet is first taken and nut
through the power press, which turns
cut more SHELLS il 3 minute than wOuld
til Z bushsI basket. These almost shape
less bits Of brass or whatever the material
lllGY De are then carried over to the drop,
which falls on them with heavy tauG,
and the tiny things Of future use come
0u5 Of il with rim formed around the
! shell. The eve maker Is then puC IL Use,
1 snd mex machine called tae closer Is
called upon to perform its duty 2nd
/ the button is flashed except in colCT,
/ wb;cn looks Gull yellow, but this IS
/ remediej ard the metal buttons show
! their brightness by seing put through g
/ burning process in acid Jars which resen-
! Dle ice cream freeZeTs. Then they are
! cooled Q # in running water and taken TO
! the stamp press, watch turns quickly, and
out they come with the name Ci the
maker stamped in the she'll part. There
are made in these establishments q
| thousand different varieties Of meta
buttons mostly for wOmcn's wear Some
are handsome to look Ct and others gTe
not, but all 90 through the same pro
cess Of manufacturing. TIE fancy out
tons are taken 10 the painters, whose MIN
BILE fingers are continually busy while put
ting on the finishing ,OGcAes. Ia making
cloth buttons a man has ten layers of ma
lerlal before him from out Of when, BIZ
hand " TX, ne punches the same number
of what are called tough5 at one time
aud the whole operation works like s
fash CT lightning, 50 quick is the opera
ton performed. The toughs are taeI
taken alongside the shells, Wiere one G
the work women attempted TO show mt
how g cloth button vas made sni finished
but Hhile listening to the explanation
OF the work by the young lady the bUt:ol
was ready to 90 on the card and be ship
: ped for Europe or anywhere else. Sh
: merely placed the cloth or tough in III
closing mschiGe and the eye in the tube
: after which the two were con
8 rected and q delicate movement O
+ the foot did the rest, as the shell, ey
. and tough were united, and the cloth but
: ton was completed. Glove, shoe and g.
q other kinds Of buttons are manufacture
r in the same way. l was shown q cIot
= shoe button thaa at cue time was pat
ented and capital of 500, 600 investe
Q in its manufacture. In another factory
s at 30 Pearl street, my attention wa
+; called to metal button that viii, Tae
i; thoroughly known, do away with need
J; and thread. Il is fastened in the artic
II of clothing by a self-locking machir
5. that is as cunning as it is simple.
5. The work Of button making seems to